The Concept of
by Happy Pappy
Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?
1. Prelude

Title: The Concept of...

Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?

Rating: PG-13+

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Continuation

Prelude

The Night It All Fell Through

Crickets chirped lightly in the courtyards of the Alexandrian Castle. A few nocturnal fiends roamed about the area, causing no trouble to anyone and having nothing done to them in return.

The residents of Alexandria slept peacefully in their beds, as they had been able to do for the last three months.

Under the reign of Queen Garnet Til Alexandros, the Kingdom of Alexandria had once again returned to it's long-forgotten peace following the end of the chaotic reign of Garnet's mother, Queen Brahne.

Soldiers of Alexandria patrolled the streets of the sleepy town. It was a nightly task, done every dusk despite the usual inactivity of the city. Usually the only problems the soldiers found in the streets were a few petty crooks and perhaps and monster or two every few weeks.

Of course, no one would expect such a peaceful, quiet night to be interuppted by explosions in the sky or masked warriors flowing from seemingly no where. No. No one would expect that the world would be changed so dramatically on a peaceful night of chirping crickets and sleeping peasants.

No one would expect that the night would be known forever after as The Night of Eternal Flames.

---

The sheets were cool against Zidane Tribal's bare chest as he lay in his large bed. The only sounds in the room came from him as he snored away softly, of course unknown to himself.

The male rolled over and bit and his snoring ceased as his arms wrapped around the other person on the futon. He hugged the dark-haired girl gently in his sleep, she sighed peacefully as he did so.

The night was suddenly interuppted as a flash from outside crossed Zidane's eyes. He cracked open an eyelid and glanced back at the window. Noticing that it was still night, he yawned and prepared to fall back into slumber.

He would have too, had a loud explosion not awoken him further.

Zidane cursed lightly and rolled out of bed just as his partner sat up in shock. She looked around, looking extremly pale in the night atmosphere.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking at Zidane with shock in her tiresome eyes.

Zidane pulled himself off the ground and rushed over to the window to look out. He pulled away the drapes and stepped out onto the balconey. His blue eyes widened at the sight he saw before him.

Flames rose in the city across the swamp. In the distance, he could hear shouts as the regular residents were awoken from their quiet slumbers. Suddenly, another flash was seen as a ball of fire shot from the clouds and crashed into a tower on the other side of the castle.

The ground shook as Zidane spun around and stared across the room at the girl, "Dagger, let's go."

Without a word, the girl jumped from the bed and sprinted across the room where she threw on her white night robe and turned to nod towards her lover.

Zidane grabbed two things from underneath the bed and stepped towards the door. He opened it and placed the two daggers into his waistband for safe keeping. He turned around to grab Garnet's hand before rushing across the cold pavement.

The entire castle was awake with shock as soldiers and residents alike flowed from their chambers. Some carried weapons, others just fled in pure terror.

Garnet and Zidane fly across the castle grounds, rushing down a staircase and entering a large, square chamber where they pause.

Soldiers rushed across the room, not even stopping to notice that thier Queen had awoken from her slumber. Finally, a familiar face burst through one of the doors.

The familiar jumbling of armor caught Zidane's ears and he spun around to look up at the pale face of Adelbert Steiner.

The large male held a large sword in both of his over-sized hands and breathed heavily. He looked down at the Queen once before turning to Zidane.

The shorter male was the first to speak, "What the heck is going on?"

"A... raid..." Steiner breathed heavily, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath. "No idea who they are... You gotta get the Queen out of here..."

Zidane nodded, "Kinda assumed that much. Any ideas, rusty?"

Steiner, who had long ago grown accustomed to the nickname, stopped and pondered the question. He thought a moment then nodded, "Take her to the docks. There will be a vessel their awaiting you. I don't beleive the enemy is attacking from the seas."

He nodded briskly, "Right."

Garnet spoke up, "Please be careful, Steiner."

"If it is your wish, your majesty." Steiner nodded with a confident smirk, "Take care of her, Zidane."

"You can trust me."

Steiner stared at the male for a moment then nodded, "I know."

The Captain of the Knight of Pluto nodded once more to his old friend before turning around and rushing down the hall once more, barking orders as he did so.

Zidane once again grabbed ahold of his love's hand and rushed down the opposite hall. He turned a quick corner before feeling the night's cool breeze on his face. He tensed up as thy entered the castle's courtyards.

More flames shot from the sky, blasting into buildings and streets. Shouts could now be heard easily from the city and fighting could also be heard over the yelling.

Garnet pulled Zidane's arm and he tore himself from the chaos occuring within the city and once again took off thorugh the courtyard. He took the lead and pulled his lover through the night.

He could hear her breathing quicken, Niether of them were quite used to this kind of excerssion anymore. Still, he pushed forward and eventually, he was able to smell the sea air.

The two of them entered the room that housed the elevator that would take them to the royal port. They stepped onto the platform and Zidane pulled the switch, it wasn't long before they were stepping onto the docks of the port.

Just as Steiner had said, a small vessel sat ready to take off in the harbor. However, as they apporached the ship, a splash was heard. That was when they noticed the skirmish occuring just on the dock next to the ship.

Zidane cursed and withdrew the two daggers from his waist. He rushed forward and parried a blow that would severe the head of one of the ship's officers. The enemy was surprised and hopped back, holding his curved sword in his hands tightly.

The man wore an all black uniform with a black hood over his face. It was impossible to make out any features on the soldiers other than his human-like form.

The soldiers shouted and lunged at Zidane, who dodged the blow easily and delivered one of his own to the man's shoulder. The wound bleed, red blood seeping through his uniform. The man dropped back and Zidane took the oppurtunity to deliver a kick to the man's chest, sending him into the sea.

Zidane turned around to address the member of the vessel's crew and stared at the pale-faced male. He cleared his throat, "Get the ship ready for departure."

The man nodded in confirmation and rushed onto the ship to prepare it. Zidane turned around and once again entered the fray.

This time, the men were ready. There were two of them. One parried a blow from Zidane's right dagger while the other lunged for his gut with his straight-sword. Zidane just barely dodged the attack and kicked the man in the stomach with his knee. The other male blocked another blow from Zidane's dagger but was unable to dodge the smack he landed on his chin with the hilt of his other.

The man he'd kneed in the stomach was on all fours on the ground. Zidane placed one foot on the man's back and used it to jump into the air. He drop kicked the other man in the face with both feet, sending him into the water. Another soldier tried to attack Zidane from behind as he fell towards the ground.

The man attacked with no weapon but delivered a sharp jab to Zidane's chin. His vision grew blurry and he fell back, nearly plummeting into the water himself. The unarmed man tried to attack again but Zidane ducked below the attack and delivered a punch of his own to the man's chest. He took a step backwards and Zidane stole the momentum.

He smacked the soldier in the face with the hilt of his dagger then delivered a roundhouse kick to his face. The man stumbled backwards, falling over the other man who was still on the ground. The grounded male stood in a fit of frustration and ran at Zidane.

Zidane simply side-stepped the man's attack and brought his dagger around to slice through the man's tender juggular. Blood sprouted from the wound and the male fell to the ground in a fit of gurgling and coughing before he eventually perished.

A sound from behind caught Zidane's attention and he turned around to see the vessel's engines roar to life. He ran to the side of the ship as a member of the crew emerged onto the dock.

"Garnet, come here!" Zidane shouted over the noise of the engine.

The girl, who'de been standing away from the battle a few yards away, walked up to Zidane. He helped her onto the ship's deck then prepared to board himself. Another noise, however, caused him to turn around.

A new batch of enemies had emerged from the doorway and stood ready to board the ship. Zidane cursed as he looked behind him at the measly bit of troops that stood to guard the soon-to-depart vessel.

Zidane cursed once more and turned to address the crewman. He nodded to the man and the male shouted the order to depart.

Garnet shouted, "Zidane, no! You must come!"

The male's heart dropped at the sound of his lover's voice. He gritted his teeth and turned to address the new enemies.

The vessel began to pull away from the docks and Garnet fell into a fit of tears and shouting. Zidane bit his lip as he turned to look at his girl once more and heard the last bit of her voice over the sound of the approaching foes.

"Zidane, please! Meet me there! Meet me at the place of our song!"

He thought of the comment once before turning back to meet the first of his enemies. He parried a blow from the soldier and slammed his dagger into the male's stomach. He threw the soldier off his blade and prepared to meet the rest of his enemies.

"I'll meet you there, Dagger." He said as he prepared for the onslaught, "Or die trying."

_To Be Continued..._

_Wow, this is the first bit of fanfiction I've written in quite awhile and the first time I've spread from the Ghost in the Shell category in forever. I really hope every enjoys this bit of fiction but I will mainly be working on my original works. However, I have always loved FF9 and have wanted to write a good story for it for a very, very long time. I just hope this all turns out good._

_Please review, I love feedback especially constructive criticism._

_By the way, my name on Fictionpress is Ilze09, so if you could check out one of my original stories, I would really appreciate it._


	2. Chapter 1: Melody Long Forgotten

Title: The Concept of...

Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?

Rating: PG-13+

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Continuation

Chapter One

Melody Long Forgotten

_Two months after Night of Eternal Flames..._

The moon shone brightly over the city of Alexandria. The stars sparkled in the sky like they did every night, but the air within the city gates had never been the same, not for two months.

For the last two months, the entire Kingdom of Alexandria had been under the marshall law of a political body known as The Forgotten Fire. They had sustained rule over the land after a nightly attack on the city which ended with the ousting of the current regime and the queen of Alexandria going missing.

The fall of Alexandria was not the first to come however as while Lindblum was sending reinforcments for their ally, they were also attacked from within the walls of the city. The ruler of Lindblum, Regent Cid, was taken captive. His current status is still unknown.

It didn't take but another two weeks for Burmencia and the other area of the Mist Continent to fall to the new menace.

Day and night, the streets of Alexandria were patrolled by the strange guards of The Fire. The guards rarely spoke and wore all black, including a black hood that hid their facial features. The only member of The Fire that's face had ever been seen was their leader, a man named Magus Kingsfield II.

This man had first appeared three days after Alexandria had been occupied. He'd stood in front of the Castle of Alexandria with a bright grin on his face. He proclaimed to the residents of the city that the royal body of Alexandria had been dethroned and that The Forgotten Fire had calimed the kingdom was their own.

The Mist Continent had fallen to The Fire in only one month. All former leaders were captured, save for one who had been claimed to be dead. It seemed to be a dark time for Gaia.

------------

In the darkness of one of the many alleyways of Alexandria, a light scuffle could be heard followed by the scream of a individual.

"Shut the hell up." Barked one black clad male. The man stepped forward and kicked the young man on the ground in the gut. The boy cried out and rolled over, clutching his abdomen.

Another black-clad soldier laughed, "This'll teach ya to speak ill of The Fire."

The third soldier withdrew a long blade from his sheath, "I'm tired of this. Let's skin'em alive and leave the leftovers as a example."

The three men laughed as the young boy tried to climb to his feet. One of the men slapped him upside the head and the boy feel to the ground, breathing heavily as blood poured from a cut on his forehead.

"That's right, cry, ya little weasle." One of the men laughed, "I swear, everyone in this little city is nothing but a little sissy. I thought Alexandria was supposed to be tougher than this."

"It's pathetic, really." Stated the second, "I thought conquering the continent would be harder but the kingdoms are a lot weaker than I thought, eh? Especially Alexandria."

The third man twirled his blade around once and laughed, "Enough talk. Let's get this over with and go get something to eat."

The man walked towards the groveling boy, tapping his blade lightly on his shoulder. He stepped within a few inches of the boy and raised the sword of his head. He was about to bring the blade down over the boy's neck when a shout was heard.

All eyes turned around to the entrance to the alleyway. A silhouette could he seen standing in the entrance. He was shorter with bushy hair and something seemed to be protruding from his side.

"You call us cowards?" The stranger spoke coldly, "and yet your the ones ganging up on a young boy."

The man with his sword drawn stepped away from the boy and growled, "Another fool trying to badmouth The Fire, eh?"

"I guess we needs a beating too." Quipped another soldier.

"Perhaps." Stated the stranger as he withdrew something from his side. A long, silver dagger glistened in the moonlight. The male withdrew a second dagger and took a defensive stance, "Or perhaps it's time to teach you three a lesson."

Without warning, the stranger took off at a sprint towards the three. The first soldier, with his sword out, stepped forward to intercept the oncoming foe. Within inches of meeting his enemy, the stranger jumped into the air. He flew over the first soldier and dropkicked another one in the head.

As the man fell to the ground, the stranger used the momentum from his kick to send him flying for another enemy. He used his head to spear another male in the gut, sending him toppling backwards. The stranger then took to his feet and spun around to meet the first soldier.

The soldier swung his sword downwards but the stranger blocked the attack with both of his daggers. The man cursed and brought in another attack from the side. This time, the stranger simply side-stepped the attack and went in for his own. His dagger easily sliced through the neck of his opponent, sending blood seeping through his uniform and the man falling backwards.

The second soldier had gotten to his feet by now and drew his own sword. He ran for the stranger and attempted to jab his blade right into his stomach. The stranger saw the attack coming and did a backflip. He landed on his feet a few yards away and took off once more at a full sprint towards the soldier.

The soldier stepped back and brought his sword up to block any attack that were to come. He closed his eyes in fear and was surprised when nothing came. He opened his eyes timidly only to see nothing aheaad of him. The man blinked a few times as he looked around. Then, he felt something tap his shoulder.

The man whirled around only to get a glimpse at the man before he recieved a hard hit to the face from the dagger's hilt. This blow sent the man reeling and he fell to the ground, his head meeting concrete and causing him to lose conciousness.

The last soldier stood and shouted in anger. He rushed towards the soldier and swung his blade three times. The stranger dodged two of the attack but a last one knicked his cheek, causing blood to seep from the cut. The soldier was about to go for another attack when the stranger did a frontflip and landed behind the soldier. The man whirled around only to see the stranger run away from him. He smirked as he thought the stranger was fleeing.

However, he was deeply mistaken as he saw the stranger jump into the air. He placed both of his feet on the adjacant wall and used it as a springboard to send him flying straight for the last soldier. The soldier had no time to attempt to block the attack and he landed cleanly on the ground with a new wound seeping blood from his chest. He coughed a bit before his life was finally ended in a similar manner to the first soldier.

The young boy was able to push himself up just in time to see the final soldier lose his life. The boy blinked a few times and looked around but the only thing he saw was a man walking away, with a tail waving behind him.

----------

Light seeped in through the light drapes of the small cottage. The shades were blown by the light breeze as it blew through the windows, ruffling hair and sending loose papers flying.

The wind blew the sandy locks of the cottage's resident as he lay sound asleep in his cot. The male grumbled a bit in his sleep and rolled over to the side, trying to get a few more minutes of sleep.

A rap on the door caused the male to groan loudly and sit up from his bed. He frowned deeply as he stood and made his way over to the door. He turned the knob hard and opened it only to see a face he least wanted to see.

The large man on the other side seemed equally upset at who he saw. The male wore a pair of dark green pants and a dark blue shirt that barely fit his large build. He wore a pair of leather boots and a matching hat to fill out the rest of his attire.

The man cleared his throat and nodded to the man who answered the door.

The resident frowned and crossed his arms, sleep still in his eyes. "What do you want, Steiner?"

The man frowned even deeper, "Nice welcome."

"What can I say?" The man shrugged his shoulders and motioned for the large man to enter. The ex-soldier did so and entered the male's little home. "Something you wanted, Rusty?"

Adelbert Steiner turned around. After the fall of Alexandria, Steiner had tried desperatly to restore the old order. Every time, he'd escaped with barely his life. After a month, his long-time comrade and partner, Beatrix had gotten him to stop his direct assaults and take on a more 'undercover approach. Steiner and Beatrix were now the leaders of the rebel group known as The Restorers of the Lost Order, or The Restoration.

Steiner crossed his arms over his chest and looked the man in the eyes, "Been out doing your usual rounds, Zidane?" The male asked, pointed to the bandage on the shorter male's cheek.

Zidane patted the bandage and shrugged, "I cut myself."

The larger man sighed and took a few steps away. He turned away and looked around his old friend's little room and sighed.

"You know why I'm here, Zidane."

Zidane smirked and nodded, "And you know my answer."

Steiner sighed and whirlled around, "Look, I don't want you to join us either but this is what Beatrix wants! Listen, we gotta big mission coming up and she really wants your help."

The shorter male sighed, "Steiner-"

"You really think your helping?" Steiner asked angrily, "Doing your little solo, hero-without-a-cause act? You think that's helping the kingdom?"

Zidane frowned and turned away from the larger man. He crossed his arms and sighed.

Steiner stared at the boy for a long moment before he took a few steps over to Zidane's nighttable. He lifted something off it and gazed at the shining piece of metal.

"You know you can't go your whole life blaming yourself for what happened to her." Steiner said slowly before he laid the dagger back down onto the table.

With that, the large man turned around and made his way over to the door. He opened it on his own and was about to step out when something stopped him.

Zidane frowned and looked out the window, "Then why do you?"

Steiner stood in the doorway for a moment before speaking once more. "I'll be waiting for your answer. If you want to do something worthwhile for a change, meet me at the airship landing by nightfall."

With that, Steiner made his leave. Zidane turned around after the man left and made his way over to his bed. He sat down and looked at the dagger that sat on his tabletop. He also looked at the gleaming red gem that sat next to it and tears began to form in his eyes.

"Why did I let you go?" He asked himself as he put his head in his hands, tears falling to the floor. "Why did I let you leave me?"

----------------

The light tunes from a nearby jukebox filled the air of the small village. Light footsteps could be heard running across the grassy ground of the village.

A short-haired, blonde girl walked gently across the small, paved road. Her hands behind her back, she looked up at the sky as she made her way through her temporary home.

A few black mages ran by, offering their hellos to the girl as they went but she was too dazed out to hear. She continued down the road, completely lost in her imagination as she went.

Finally, she broke out of her dream as she made her way up to the inn where she was staying. She entered and nodded gently to the mage that sat behind the counter.

"Your friends are inside, Miss Sarah." The mage said with a friendly voice.

"Thank you." Sarah said with a chuckle as she made her way over to the door. She was about to push it open when she heard the people within discussing something.

The people within were speaking in hushed voices, obviously trying not to allow anyone else to hear their conversation. They spooke just loud enough for her to make out their voices.

A harsh voice spoke first, "We cannot run forever. It's been two months, it won't be much longer before they come over here."

"It's obvious that this continent will be The Fire's next destination." Spoke another voice, this one was that of a female. "Where can we run to after that?"

"The Fire beleives knows the Queen still lives." Spoke the first voice, "They've got the public beleiving that she is dead but they are still searching for her, silently but they are."

"You and the Queen may stay here as long as you desire." This new voice was deeper and more friendly, "Our village will not be discovered easily."

"Thank you." Spoke the female, "But we will not bring that danger to you. We will take the Queen elsewhere."

A crash was heard and the harsh male spoke once more, "I'm sick of running. I don't see why I'm this brat's babysitter anyways. I should be over their fighting those bastards and putting this whole thing to an end now."

"Cole, your mission is just as important as everyone else's." The female spoke, "No one is fighting just yet. In time, you will be given your chance but like everyone else, you must wait."

Sarah sighed deeply and made her entrance. The three inhabitants of the room turned their attention towards the blonde girl and immediatly ended their conversation. The black mage in the room nodded to the girl before making her leave.

The other blonde girl smiled at Sarah. She stood about her height with darker blonde locks and blue-green eyes. A long tail protruded from her back as well.

"Did you have a nice walk?" Asked the girl.

Sarah smiled and crossed her arms, "It was very refreshing. How are you, Mikoto?"

The girl nodded, "Doing well."

Mikoto had changed dramatically since coming back from Terra with Zidane. It'd taken her awhile to get used to things of Gaia but once she did, no one could tell she was from another planet.

The last person in the room took his seat in the corner of the room and took a long swig of water. He wore a pair of black pants and a long black jacket with red lining all over a plain white shirt. A long necklace hung from his neck and a long sword was strapped to his belt. He had long, black hair with one long red streak on the right side, hanging over his eye. The male grunted as he crossed his arms.

"When do we leave the village, Cole?" Asked Sarah.

"About a week, probably." Answered the male in his usual deep tone. "The word from the top says we gotta keep heading north."

Sarah sighed and sat down on her bed, "And when are you going to tell me who 'the top' is?"

Mikoto smiled akwardly, "Not just yet."

Sarah sighed in annoyance and laid back on the bed. "This has been going on for two months and I still don't know what is going on. Ever since that day on the ship from Alexandria, all I've heard is 'we can't tell you yet' and 'that's confidential.'" She frowned and crossed her arms, "I've tried to keep quiet for as long as possible but-"

"Dagger, please." Mikoto said, using the name given to the girl a long time ago. "I want to tell you, really I do, but I just can't. For your safety and our's, we just can't tell you who is sending us. All you can know is that it's an organization designed for the benefit of The Mist Continent."

Sarah sat up angrily, "And why does all of the world think I'm dead?! I can't imagine how Zi..." She caught herself, tears welling up inside her eyes, "How is everyone doing? Thinking I'm dead?"

Mikoto sighed and sat down on her bed. She shook her head, "It's hard to tell. I'm worried about him too."

"Then why don't we go see him?" Sarag asked, "How are you even a part of this organization?"

"It's a long story." Mikoto said with a light grin, "One I'll tell you later."

Sarah sighed once more and fell back onto her bed. She rubbed her temples as a headache was growing. "Of course."

Cole rose from his place in the corner and made his way to the door. "I'm going out for a drink." Stated the dark man before leaving the two girls to be alone.

Mikoto frowned, "Don't let him get to you. This whole ordeal is tough on us all."

Two months ago, Queen Garnet til Alexandros had been sent away from her home on a ship to escape the attack of The Fire. The ship had been intercepted shortly by another ship, this one being inhabited by a group of mysterious people. The only face Garnet recognized was Mikoto. She'd told her that they were going to be taking care of her until things got safer. They forced her to cut her hair again and dye it blonde so she could lay undercover better, she also was going by the name Sarah.

Mikoto had told her that she could not return to her homeland until everything was safer. She also said that no one else could know of her situation. For two months, she'd been traveling with Mikoto and the cold, mysterious Cole all across the globe. It seemed as though they never stopped moving.

So, that was how things had been for the last two months. Queen Garnet was 'dead' and she was now living as Sarah, traveling the world for seemingly no reason with no idea how her kingdom or her friends were doing.

And every, single day she thought of him.

---------------

Night overcame the village of Dali quickly. The stars overlooked the village and slowly fizzled out over the horizon. In the light of a few torches sat a few individuals. They sat in a tight bunch in the airship landing area, speaking in hushed tones.

In the center of the group sat a women. She wore lightly colored clothes with a black eyepatch over her left eye. She crossed her arms and looked at the large man to her right.

The large man spoke up, "In a few days, Magus Kingsfield will be giving a speech at the Alexandrian Harbor. We will be making our way to the speech in three groups. One will make it's way through the crowd and wait near the front. The second will be waiting off to the side and when the mission begins, will rush the port and block off as many ships as possible. The third group will be the smallest and most dangerous. This group will scale the wall on the outside of the castle. They will make their way across the top and jump down to commence the attack direclty on Kingfield and his lackys."

The girl cleared her throat, "When the third group begins it's onslaught, the second will rush in to block off any escapes. That is when the first group bursts from the crowd to square off the attack. If all goes well, Kingsfield should be lying dead in his own blood and we should be making our escape via one of the harbor's ships."

The large man nodded, "The only thing left to decide is who is in what group?"

"As much as I'm sure he would like to." The female smiled and looked over at the bigger man, "I'm afraid Steiner is a bit too... large to lead the third group."

Steiner frowned and nodded, "I will be leading the first group in the direct assault from the crowd. Beatrix will take lead of the second group as this group needs as much speed and perfection as possible."

Beatrix nodded, "That leaves the third. Any volunteers?"

The crowd was quiet for a long moment before someone spoke up from the back. Everyone shifted their gaze to the back of the crowd and all eyes grew wide at who they saw.

The male at the back crossed his arms and looked forward into the unbeleiving stares of the others, "I said, I'll do it."

As the man stepped forward, Beatrix stood and smiled a bit at him. "Good to see you here, Zidane."

Zidane nodded as he stood before the two, "One mission. That's the length of my contract."

"That's all we need." Beatrix said with a smile.

Steiner rose and nodded, "You think your leading the third?"

"I know I am." Zidane said as he shifted his gaze to Steiner, "Who else is going to, eh, Rusty?"

Beatrix nodded, "You will lead the third."

Steiner stared at Zidane for a long moment before shrugging and sitting back down, "Don't screw it up."

Zidane nodded confidently and looked once more at Beatrix. He crossed his arms over his chest and cleared his throat.

"So, when do we leave?"

_To Be Continued..._

_Author's Ramblings_

_I have mixed feelings about this installment. It's been forever since I've played FFIX and don't even own the game but I'm trying to keep the characters as much IC as possible. Don't worry, more characters will be jumping into the mix shorlty. I hope this chapter doesnt drive too many people away._

_Keep with the comments. They keep me going._

_Until next time._


	3. Chapter 2: For The Light of Day

Title: The Concept of...

Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?

Rating: PG-13+

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Continuation

Chapter Two

For The Light of Day

The Sun was slowly making it's way towards the horizon, trying effortlessly to meet that resting place beyond the hills and allow the moon to come out and take over for the night.

Just like the Sun, the trio of travelers also made their way across the countryside towards some unreachable place.

Garnet, or Sarah as she was known as, sighed deeply as she looked up at the blue sky. Beads of sweat stood out on her forhead, her dyed blonde locks plastered to her skin.

Mikoto looked behind her to see Garnet pause and crossed her arms, "We must keep moving."

"Why?" She questioned with a bit of defiance, "Why must be move at such a quick pace? What are we running from?"

With a irritated grunt, Cole spun around and stared at the dethroned queen. Her crossed his arms over his darkly clad chest and frowned. The man wore nearly all black and was still not sweating. His dark black locks with the single white bang seemed completely unmovable on his head.

The man gritted his teeth in aggravation, "We've been resting for the past three days. The least we can do is move for one, damn day."

"Without rest?" Garnet questioned, staring at the cold man. "This is inhuman!"

Mikoto chuckled and shrugged, "Inhuman? Look who your talking to."

Garnet and Mikoto shared a laugh while Cole simply rolled his eyes and turned around, "We'll keep moving."

"Since when were you the leader of this group?" Demanded Garnet, standing her ground with arms crossed.

Cole sighed once more, "Since I was put on this damned job."

"And who's telling you to do this?"

Mikoto grinned, "Nice try but it's not quite time to tell you yet."

The blonde girl snapped her fingers and shrugged, "Can't blame me for trying."

"Of course not." Mikoto laughed and looked at her comrade, "How about a break, Cole?"

Cole stared at the genome and frowned deeply. He sighed and turned around, "We'll rest at that rock range over there."

Garnet squinted to see the range of rocks in the distance and sighed, "Fine."

Mikoto nodded with a smile, "Then let's keep going."

The three continued across the countryside in silence, save for Mikoto's occassional comment about the area. Aside from her original trip to Gaia, she'd never been on any other continent save for the Mist Continent.

Eventually, the trio made their way to the range that Cole had designated as their rest place. Garnet immediatly took a seat on a large stone and let out a sigh of releif. Mikoto dropped her bag and took out a few cans of few which she passed around. Cole took a seat a few feet away, resting his sheathed sword acros his lap.

Garnet smiled over at the dark man and laughed, "See? This isn't so bad, is it?"

Cole grunted, "Whatever you say."

Mikoto smiled and opened her can of preserved food. She took out a plastic fork and prepared to take a bite. The fork never made it to the can however, as it was taking from her grip by some projectile.

The broken can of food fell a few feet away and a short throwing knife landed only a few inches from it. Everyone jumped to their feet just a group of at least six masked figured emerged from hiding.

The lead masked man stepped forward and laughed in a snake-like voice. The man stood only about 5;6 and wore a dark blue uniform with a blue bandana covering his mouth. He also held a curved-sword in his right hand. All the men behind him wore similar costumes but with an assortment of weapons.

The first man rested the sword on his shoulder and laughed, "Sorry to interuppt your meal, folks but we're gonna have to ask ya to give over your valuables."

Cole stepped forward, unsheathed his blade.

"We don't wanna have to kill you all." The man said with a throaty laugh, "You sorry folks are just unlucky enough to be spotted by the Blue Graal Thivery Guild!" At the name, the six figures struck different poses, shouting the word 'Graal' loudly.

Cole broke out in laughter at the sight of the poses, Garnet and Mikoto couldn't help but grin as well.

The leader of the group's eyes widened and he stepped forward, "Y-you dare laugh at the Blue Graal Thievery Guild?!"

Cole regianed his composure and shrugged, "Couldn't help it."

"How dare you! We'll tear you limb from limb!" The man looked back at his comrades, "Kill the bastard!"

The first man to the left of the leader removed a throwing knife from his belt. His hand moved in a flash and sent the dagger flying towards Cole, who deflected the blade with a flick of his own sword.

The man stepped back in shock, "H-he deflected it?"

The leader growled, "So what?! Kill him!"

The first four men immediatly took off towards Cole. The dark man simply fell back into a defensive position, a maddening grin standing out on his tan features.

Garnet wrung her hands together, "You think we should help?"

Mikoto sighed and dismissed her, "Definately not. He needs to releive some stress." She turned around and waved for Garnet to follow, "Let's leave him alone."

As the two females left, Cole made contact with the leader of the group. The blue man attempted to swing down on Cole with his blade but Cole easily deflected the blow and delivered a kick to the man's abdomen. Another thief, this one wiedling a spear, tried to attack from the side.

This time, Cole did a backflip and landed a few feet from the spearman. He slashed downwards with his blade, taking the tip of the spear off. The man shouted and tried unaffectively to block a roundhouse kick form Cole.

As the spearman fell to the ground, another swordsman invaded. Cole took the man on directly, parrying two blows before attempting to land one of his own. The man brought up his blade to deflect the blow but fell back from the brute strength of his darkly-clade opponent. Cole took the oppertunity to run the man through with his sword.

One he pulled the sword free from the man, Cole was once again attacked. This time he was invaded from two sides. A man wielding a heavy mace attacked from the left while the leader, who had regained his blade, was attacking from the right. Cole first parried a blow from the swordsman and ducked under a attack from the mace. He ran his shoulder into the mace-wielding, knocking him backwards then blocked yet another attack from the swordsman.

Now it was Cole's turn. He brought his blade up, slamming his elbow in the mace-wielders nose at the same time. Blood grushed from the obviously broken nose as the group's leader and Cole's blades connected. They went back and forth for a minute before the man with the daggers attacked from behind.

The knife-thrower grabbed Cole from behind, holding onto his wrists in an attempt to give his companion an open attack, Cole's blade falling from his hands and landing a few feets away. However, as the leader brought his blade down, Cole planted his feet and brought his body around, causing him to slash right through the shoulder and back of his friend.

The man released with a shout of pain and Cole rolled away from the battle. He was about to pick up his sword when a foot slammed down on the hilt. Cole looked up to see another blue-clad thief. This thief held a short sword in his left hand and leered down at Cole.

The thief attempted to pierce Cole as he sat on the ground but he was too quick. Cole pushed forward, flying through the open legs of thief and rolling to his feet behind him. The man twirled around in shock and Cole took the chance to do a forward roll, grabbing his sword as he did so and rising to pierce the juggular of the shocked thief.

Cole stood and looked behind him to see the leader of the gang standing in shock. The man's eyes widened as he stepped back, dropping his sword as he did so. The man dropped to his knees, begging for Cole not to take his life.

The dark-clad man laughed and tapped his bloody blade against his leg, "Pathetic."

As Cole looked at the fallen man, a sound was heard to his right. He looked over to see another blue-clad thief run into view. The man panted heavily as he emerged.

"Don't worry!" The new arrival shouted, "He's on his way!"

The leader nodded and immediatly got off his knees. He laughed as he looked at Cole, "Now your gonna be sorry. Big Guy's coming."

Cole sighed, "Another measily thief, eh? Is this one over five feet tall?"

The thief inhaled deeply, "How d-dare you mock the Blue Graal Thiev-"

"I heard the title before." Cole rolled his knees, "Well, bring on your Big Guy."

He didn't have to wait long as someone emerged from a series of rocks. The man stood well over six foot tall with a big mass of red hair and a red goatee. The man wore a pair of black pants and a matching black sleeveless shirt. A strange, claw-like gautlet was place on his hand.

The tall, red-headed man stood a few feet away and crossed his arms as his little companion ran behind him. "Now you'll be sorry! Our Big Guy's here now!" The man looked up at the red-head, "Get'm Red!"

The man sighed, "I'm gonna need more money."

The leader stepped away and nodded shyly, "Uh, y-yeah. Whatever you want, just kill this guy, okay, Red?"

Red shrugged his shoulder and stepped forward. He towered over Cole and looked down at him with a serious expression.

Cole took a defensive stance once more, "Your big, alright but your still just another pathetic thief."

A smirk seemed to creep across Red's lips as he rear back for his attack. He jumped forward, his claw-like weapon speeding towards Cole with much more speed than any of the other thieves.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garnet chewed her rations slowly, not enjoying the taste at all.

Her and Mikoto sat in another circle of rocks a good distance away from the battle. Still, they could easily hear the sound of weapons clashing as they ate.

Garnet frowned as she heard the sounds, "Is there something wrong with him?"

Mikoto took a bite of her food, "With who?"

"Cole."

"Why do you ask that?" Mikoto asked, looking up at Garnet.

"All he seems to do is want to fight." She said, looking at the ground for a moment, "He just seems so... cold."

Mikoto sighed, "To tell the truth, I don't know him that well. I only met him a few days before the invasion of Alexandria. All I know is that he's a remarkable fighter and a trustworthy man."

"Who told you that?"

Mikoto sighed, "Our leader, someone you will learn the identity of in time."

Garnet leaned back and nodded, "Alright. No use trying, huh?"

"I suppose not." Mikoto said with a light smile.

The sounds of the battle seemed to grow closer until it seemed like they were right upon them. Suddenly, a loud smack was heard and the sounds paused. A second later, Cole flew into view and landed on his back a little ways away.

Cole cursed and stood, "You big, red bastard!" He shouted as he sprinted back into the distance and the sounds once again picked up.

Mikoto blinked a few times, "Seems like he's having some trouble."

"You think?" Garnet stood, grabbing her rod as she did so.

"Let's investigate." Mikoto said as she stood as well.

Together, the two girls emerged from their hiding and looked upon a two perosn duel. Both men were covered in scratches and bruises but niether seemed to be gaining any ground. However, Garnet couldn't seem to break her gaze from the large, red-headed man.

The man prepared to engage Cole once more but glanced over for a minute at the two newcomers. His eyes met with Garnet's and he paused, staring at the girl for a moment.

"You..." He mumbled but was caught off as Cole's shoulder connected with his chest, sending him falling to the ground.

Garnet shouted for Cole to stop and ran over to the tall man, kneeling down beside him. The man grunted and shook her off, taking to his feet on his own.

"So, it's you." The tall man said as he stood, putting his hands on his hips.

She smiled and looked up at him, "It's been awhile, Amarant."

Cole looked between the two with eyes blazing in anger and confusion. He fumbled with his words for a moment before speaking, "You two... know eachother."

Garnet looked at the man and nodded, "We're old friends." She turned back to Amarant, "Are you a thief now?"

The tall man shook his head, "Mercenary. The Graals have been fighting another guild for awhile and hired me to give them some kind of edge."

Mikoto had managed to get Cole to sheath his blade, he now stood a few yards away, breathing heavily.

Amarant crossed his arms over his chest, "I heard you were dead." He said to Garnet blatantly, "Heard you were killed when Alexandria was taken over."

She simply shook her head, "No. I escaped and I've been hiding with these two for awhile."

He looked up at the other two. He looked at Mikoto for a moment, seeming to recognize her. "Your Zidane's... sister?"

"You could say that." She said with a nod. She motion towards her black-clad man. "This is my companion Cole. I beleive you two have met."

Amarant turned back to Garnet, "So, where is hero-boy anyways?"

Garnet grew quiet and put her hands behind her back, "I haven't a clue..."

"I see." The big guy thought a moment, "Where are you heading?"

Mikoto stepped forward, "We're traveling north for now. Just trying to avoid the tide for now."

Amarant nodded, "I suppose I'll come as well."

"What?" Garnet looked up at the man in surprise. She really didn't know Amarant that well, despite pretty much saving the world with him and really didn't expect that type of response from him. "You mean with us?"

"Of course." He said with a shrug, "Seems like the right thing to do."

Garnet nodded quickly and turned to Mikoto, "Is that alright."

Mikoto smiled lightly, "We could use all the help we can get."

Cole grunted and turned away. "I don't care who is coming but let's go."

The ex-queen laughed lightly, "I guess you're in."

Amarant nodded and turned around to follow the group, "Then let's get going."

She nodded briskly, "Right."

-------------------------------------------------------------

Night overtook the city of Alexandria. Light blazed in the homes of residents but everything was deserted. All life in the city was now gathered at the docks where Magus Kingsfield II, leader of The Fire, was supposed to be giving a speech. Only a few drunks and stray animals wandered the streets. Plus, a few mysterious strangers.

Zidane ran his hand over the hilt of his dagger, which was now hidden under his robes. He stood only a few inches from the castle's wall, looking up at the large climb ahead of him.

Glancing behind him, Zidane nodded to the six other members of Steiner's resistance who were part of his group. He'd only met them a bit on the flight from Dali to Alexandria and now stood ready to scale the castle's walls with them.

Steiner's group was proabably already in position, standing within the crowd watching the speech. Beatrix's group would be ready in moments, ready to attack as soon as Zidane's group began their own invasion.

With a deep sigh, Zidane grabbed a hold of one of the crude bricks and began his trek up the wall. Behind him, the others did the same.

The climb up the wall took only a few minutes for him but much longer for his comrades. As soon as everyone stood on the long gang-plank that circled the top of the castle, they began their stealthy walk across.

The docks glowed below, with hanging candles perched across long wires that hung from the top of the castle to the stage where Magus Kingfield now stood. Zidane looked down at the talking man with anger.

The man wore long red robes. His hair was shortly-cropped and dark. His face seemed completely without character, his eyes looked like deep pools of white with little black specks in the center for pupils. The man spoke loudly and confidently, although it was impossible for Zidane to hear.

Zidane turned around to look at the others. He nodded to them as he climbed to the edge of the castle and grabbed a hold of one of the wires. He silently prayed that the long, thin wires would hold his weight. Swallowing hard, Zidane held on hard and finally jumped over the edge.

It felt like he was falling for a moment before the wire caught him and he felt himself gliding down it. The hanging lights broke as he smashed through them and it wasn't much longer before he heard the shocked shout of the crowd below.

Zidane stared forward, looking directly into the fast approaching figure of Magus Kingfield. The man attempted to move out of the way but was not fast enough as Zidane let go of the wire and flew straight for the man. Both his feet smashed into the chest of the man, sending him flying backwards as Zidane landed heavily on the stage.

Chaos ensued as soldiers rushed to guard their leader. Zidane looked around and saw Steiner's group flying from the crowd. To his right, Beatrix's group was storming the stage, attempting to cut off Kingfield and his soldiers from the vessels in the harbor.

Zidane reached into his coat and withdrew his two daggers. He immediatly flew into action, smashing both his blades into the chest of the nearest black-clad soldier.

It was chaos all around as members of the resistance engaged soldiers. The crowd attempted to flee from the scene, causing a devastating mob. Innocent civilians were trampled in the mad dash. Soldiers attempted to break up the crowd and make their way to the stage but were unable to stop the fleeing citizens.

Zidane's eyes scanned the stage, looking for Kingsfield. Finally, he caught sight of the flaming red robes attempting to flee for the docks. He set off towards the man, cutting through whoever got in his path.

As he approached, he saw others fight. He saw both enemy soldiers and his own comrades die in their own blood. Old memories came back to him as he saw Steiner wielding his blade in battle and Beatrix fight valiantly through mobs of enemy soldiers.

He was withen fifteen yards of Kingsfield when someone unfamiliar blocked his path.

Zidane brought up his daggers to cut down the foe but he was surprised to be knocked off his feet by the man. He fell to the ground and landed on his back, peering up at the individual in shock.

The man wore darkly colored trousters with a white undershirt and a black jacket that hung to the middle of his back. A smirk stood out on his pale face and his flaming red locks blew in the breeze. He held two long blades in his hands, both were straight with strange hilts that covered both of his hands.

The blonde pushed himself to his feet and stood to face the new enemy. He engaged the man, both of their weapons locks. He grunted under the strain and broke the attack. He stepped back and once again attempted to attack the man but was once again parried.

Now it was the red-head's turn. The man flew forward, becoming almost a blur. His knee slammed into Zidane's gut, causing saliva to fly from his lips. Zidane seemed to go in slow motion as the hilt of the man's blade smashed into the back of his head, sending him flying to the ground.

Zidane coughed as he pushed himself back up. He looked forward just in time to see the man's booted foot come flying and smash into his face. His head snapped back and Zidane was sent flying backwards. He landed a few feet away, staring up at the night sky.

He blinked a few times and pushed himself up once more to look at his foe. The man smiled brightly, twirling both swords in the air as he stared at Zidane. There was something shockingly familiar about the male even though Zidane had never met the man in his life. Still, there was something familiar in his face.

A shout from behind caught the stranger's ears and he turned his head around to see a vessel taking off. Kingsfield stood at the back of the boat, watching the battle unfold behind him.

Zidane cursed as the man turned back around to look at him. He smiled and shrugged, "Time for me to go." He said audibly and turned around. The boat was a good twenty yards out to see by now but the man continued on his way. He stopped at the edge of the dock and jumped into the air. He flew through the air and landed at the crouch on the vessel.

The man got to his feet and stood next to Kingsfield, his eyes staying locked on Zidane as he departed. The blonde cursed loudly as he watched the boat sail off into the distance.

And the fires burned behind them.

---------------------------------------------------------

The morning sunlight broke across the horizon. The bright sun shot into the sky, once again beginning it's long trek across the sky only to begin another night.

The sun met the eyes of Garnet til Alexandros. She sat up in her small, uncomfortable bed and looked around. Cole was gone and Mikoto was just arising from her slumber. Amarant sat a few feet away poking at the last few embers of the fire from the night before.

Garnet pushed her blankets away and stood. The morning air was chilly and she stretched in the breaking daylight. They had set up camp near the beach and she could look out across the sea. A boat with light sails could be seen in the distance, it looked familiar.

The former queen's eyes widened and glistened in the light. She put her hands together and smiled brighlty, "It's them!" She shouted, causing everyone within range to look at her. "It's Alexandria!"

Mikoto and Amarant stood next to her, gazing out at the vessel.

"That is the Alexandrian seal." Amarant commented, crossing his arms over his chest.

Garnet smiled, "It is them! Alexandria is here!"

Someone grabbed Garnet's shoulder from behind. She glanced across her shoulder to see Cole standing behind her, shaking his head slowly. His face showed complete determination as he looked out to sea.

"Get everything ready." Cole said coldly, "We must leave."

Garnet whirled around, "Are you kidding? It's Alexandria!"

Cole frowned, "That is not our friends." He spat, "It's them."

Mikoto and Amarant busied around the area, getting everything ready to leave. Cole cursed and picked up his sword. He slung the blade across his waist and began gathering his own things.

Garnet turned around to look at the sea and shook her head, tears appearing in the corners of her eyes. More ships were appearing on the horizon, these wore different sails. They were black with a red flame in the center.

She stepped back as the first tears ran down her cheeks. Comforting arms grabbed her from behind and she looked up at the familiar face of Amarant. He nodded to her in comfort and the two of them turned to leave.

Alexandria would not be coming today but war would.

Garnet ran across the grass with Amarant at her side and Mikoto and Cole leading the way. Tears still rolled down her face as she ran and only one thought was on her mind.

Zidane, where are you?

_To Be Continued..._

_Author's Ramblings_

_Sorry for the exceptionally long wait but my internet has been on the fritz lately. I'm really trying to move the plot along but it's hard without giving out a lot of details. For anyone who has read my original fiction (and I doubt there are any) then you'll know that I like to keep a lot of secrets while writing. I hope everyone sticks with this story as it is definately moving up my chain of prioritys right now. Please review, I do love them a lot._

_By the way, I hope you all are happy about the addition of Amarant._

_Until next time._


	4. Chapter 3: Keep Fighting for Yesterday

Title: The Concept of...

Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?

Rating: PG-13+

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Continuation

Chapter Three

Keep Fighting For Yesterday

The breeze blew over Zidane's face, burshing his blonde locks gently and sending a salty, refrreshing taste into his mouth. The sound of the wind wrestling with sheets of fabric and of waves crashing filled the air, as well as a few voices from the area.

Zidane opened his eyes gently and looked up at the pure blue sky that loomed overhead. His hands rested gently behind his head as he lay on a long, wooden bench aboard the small Alexandrian vessel that someone had commondeered shortly after the battle at the harbor.

Sighing, the thief sat up and looked around at the seemingly endless sea. He blined as he turned his head around to look behind him and smirked as he saw the coast of a continent looming in the distance.

Zidane heard footsteps approaching and turned his head just in time to see Beatrix stop in front of him. She crossed her arms, having her usual dutiful look painted on her eye-patch clad face.

"Nice to see you're awake." Beatrix said with nearly a grin, "Enjoying the trip."

"It's relaxing, yeah." Zidane said as he hopped up and walked over to the rail of the vessel, "So, you never told me, who stole this ship? I don't know many people in your little organization that can manuever and ship as well as these guys have."

Now a smirk did cross Beatrix's face, "Specialists. They arrived from the Lindblum resistance just in time for the mission."

A puzzled looked crossed the boy's face as he turned around just in time to see a door slam open and a few familiar figures emerge. Zidane's brows raised as he stared upon the faces of the 'specialists.'

A loud laugh emerged from the large, bearded man's gut. "What's with you? You act like you've seen a ghost."

Zidane stepped forward and blinked a few times, "Blank? Cinna? Marcus? Baku? You're the specialists from Lindblum Resistance?"

The red-headed Blank crossed his arms and smirked, "We kind of are the Lindblum Resistance."

Cinna nodded, waving his trusty hammer in the air as he did so. "Beatrix and Steiner got ahold of us just in time and we rushed over to lend a hand. Seems like you guys sure needed it."

Marcus nodded, straightening the bandana on his head. "We've been working underground in Lindblum ever since the Regent's disappearance but this is the first we've actually done as a faction."

"I guess we chose an appropriate time too." Baku said, letting out another loud laugh. "I guess the mission didn't quite go as well as you'd planned."

Zidane crossed his arms and frowned, "It wasn't my plan."

"There was nothing wrong with the plan!" A booming voice shouted from behind. Zidane turned his head just in time to see Steiner emerge from below deck. "The plan should have worked perfectly."

"If the plan had worked then Kingsburn wouldn't be breathing." Zidane spat.

"Well if someone would have just taken the bastard out when he had the chance then we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"So, you're saying it's my fault, Rusty?" Zidane growled, stepped up so that he stood only a few inches from the former captain.

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

Beatrix stepped in-between the two and attempted to push them apart, "This is no time for petty arguments!"

"It's all been your fault, you scoundrel!" Steiner bellowed, his face growing red with anger. "Everything that's happened is because of you. I trusted you."

Zidane balled his hands into fists and prepared to lunge at the man when someone grabbed his arms. He snarled and looked behind him to see Marcus and Cinna holding him back.

Baku stepped in front of him, blocking his view. He shook his head slowly and crossed him arms. The large man sighed before bringing his large fist in to punch Zidane right in the gut.

Cinna and Marcus let go of his arms and Zidane fell to one knee, holding his stomach while breathing heavily. "...what was... that... for...?" He panted in between coughs.

"For letting your stupid emotions get the best of you." Baku said, crossing his arms. "I thought you were tougher than that, kid."

Zidane regained his breath and stood. He spat and turned around, preparing to head back into the cabin.

Blank leaned against the wall next to the door, arms folded across his chest. He shook his head as Zidane walked past him, "Get ahold of yourself, you idiot. Your never gonna save that girl of your's acting like that."

Zidane paused a moment to send a glare at Blank before storming into the cabin, slamming the door behind him.

Cinna leaned against one of the rails and sighed. The deck had cleared out, leaving only the four former-thieves alone. "Has he... given up?"

"It's not like Zidane to just quit." Marcus added, shaking his head.

"If he gave up then why's he still fighting?" Cinna asked, thinking a moment. "You think the Queen is really..."

"Hogwash!" Baku shouted, slamming his foot into the deck. "Zidane can give up all we want but we wont give up on him."

"That's right." Cinna nodded, clenching his hammer. "He's our brother!"

"And no matter what happens, he's a member of Tantalus!" Marcus said with a firm nod.

"That's what I wanna hear!" Baku said with a hearty laugh, "Now get to work! We gotta lot to do if we wanna land this baby on the shore!"

"Yes, boss!" Cinna and Marcus shouted as they did the signature Tantalus signal before running off.

Blank stayed behind, leaning against the rail and gazing out at the sea. "What do you think he's fighting for, boss?"

Baku sighed and crossed his meaty limbs, "Well, if he beleives The Fire took his girl, then I'd say revenge."

"He's changed." Blank said, slowly shaking his head, "Not for better, either."

The two stood in silence for a long moment before Baku snorted, "Well, no matter, what we gotta worry about now is The Fire and their next move. Since they just landed at The Forgotten Continent, it's our job to try to warn the people as soon as possible."

Blank turned around and nodded, "I'll man the wheel, boss."

The red-head ran off, leaving Baku to himself. He looked at the shore that got ever closer. He sighed to himself and scratched his beard as he watched it approach.

"Get it together, son." He said quietly to himself, "For all of us."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Small tears formed in the corners of the small, black-haired child that sat on the red carpeted steps of Castle Alexandria. She sat with her head in her hands, pouting to no one in particular._

_Footsteps from behind caught the child's ears but she refused to turn around until the strong, husky voice of the woman called her name._

_"Garnet?" The woman asked stepped around her to stand in front of the girl, "What's wrong, my dear?"_

_The little girl sniffed and looked up at her large mother. Tears streamed from her eyes as she looked at the woman. "I... I lost my doll, mother."_

_"Your doll?"_

_"My Princess Cornelia doll." She said after a quick hiccup, "I can't find it anywhere."_

_"There's no need to cry over such a thing, Garnet." Brahnne said as she nealed down. It was difficult for her to kneel down to eye-level with the child but she endured the pain nonetheless, "I'm sure we can find another one."_

_"It's not that mother." Tears rolled down the child's cheeks, "It's the doll that Father gave me before he... left. It's the only thing I have to..."_

_The Queen's eyes lowered and she nodded slowly. With a sigh, she looked up into her child's eyes and forced a loving smile, "Your father will always be in your memories, dear. He'll always be with you, no matter what happens."_

_Garnet wiped a few tears from her eyes and nodded slowly, "I know, Mother."_

_"He loves you, dear and will always be by your side, even if you don't know it." Brahnne smiled and embraced the child. Garnet snuggled close to her mother and smiled. "One day, you'll be queen, Garnet but until then I will always be here for you."_

_"I love you, mother."_

_"I love you too, dear." She pulled away and smiled down at the child, "Now go get ready for your tutoring."_

"Sarah?"

Garnet snapped out of her daydream and blinked a few times. She'd been staring at a small child and it's mother conversing as they sat at a small, resteraunt table. She'd been so lost in the memory that she hadn't even noticed Mikoto return.

"Yes?" Garnet asked as he looked at the blonde genome. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

Mikoto smiled at her, "It's fine. What were you thinking about?"

"Oh, nothing." Garnet said with a light grin, "Just old memories. Where's Cole?"

"Gathering supplies. He knows the item store owner and says he can get a good deal here."

"Is Cole from Conde Petie?"

Mikoto laughed, "No. Does he look like he's from here?" They laughed, "Cole has traveled a great deal in his life. I don't think there is a place on Gaia he hasn't visited at least once."

Garnet nodded slowly and leaned back in her seat. She sighed as she once again began to drift into dreams. Before she could get too deep, however, Mikoto spoke.

"Is something troubling you?" She asked, staring at the girl.

Garnet thought a long moment and sighed, "It's... nothing."

"Tell me about it." Mikoto said with a grin, "If anything, it'll only make you feel better."

The dyed-blonde haired girl thought a moment before nodding and speaking, "It's just... it feels like there have been four phases to my life. There's my early childhood living in Madain Sari, I can hardly remember that time much but I know that the majority of my village and all my family died. The second phase was my princesshood in which the most important person in my life was my mother and father. Both of them have passed away. The third phase was my time as a queen in which my most loved one was Zidane and now, he too has..." Garnet trailed off and shook her head, "Now I'm on the fourth phase as a renegade... it seems like every time something changes, I meet another loved one and they eventually die as well..."

Mikoto watched the girl speak and slowly shook her head, "Garnet..." She said, using her actual name for the first time, "Nothing that has happened as been your fault."

"I know, it's just..." Garnet sighed and shook her head, "It's nothing. Just what I've been thinking about as of late."

The two females sat in silence for a long moment before another person approached the table. Cole laid a semi-filled bag down on the table and nodded, "I think I got enough to last us to our next destination."

"Which is...?" Garnet asked, looking up at the male.

Cole brushed a bit of black hair out of his face, the single red bang fell back into his eyes. "Madain Sari."

Mikoto blinked, "Why are we going there?"

"A moogle just delivered a letter to me." Cole said as he tossed the folded piece of paper onto the table. Mikoto picked it up and began reading it.

Her eyes widened slightly and she looked up at the man, "We're supposed to meet him there?"

Cole nodded, "The boss says so."

Garnet thought a moment then sat up, "Your leader?"

Mikoto smiled broadly, "It looks like your finally gonna get a chance to meet our leader."

"This should clear a lot of things up for you." Cole said as he swung the bag over his shoulder, "We must hurry though. The Fire's army has landed on the shores."

"I suppose that is why the boss wants to meet at Madain Sari." Mikoto said with a nod.

"Then we should set out right away." Garnet said as she jumped to her feet.

"Set out for where?"

Garnet spun around to watch as Amarant walked up to the group. He crossed his arms as he stood before them.

"We head for Madain Sari." Cole said gruffly as he checked all his equipment, "Ready to go?"

"Anytime."

Garnet nodded with a bright smile, "Then let's go? What are we waiting for?"

The girl quickly grabbed onto Amarant's large bicep and began pulling him forward towards the exit of Conde Petie. Mikoto laughed as she watched the scene unfold.

"I guess the idea of some things getting cleared up is enough to get her energized." Mikoto said with a grin.

Cole grunted and frowned, "Things are only going to get more difficult from here on out. Especially for our young heroine."

Mikoto sighed and nodded, "I guess so. If the boss wants to meet with her then things are definately getting serious." She looked up at Cole with a determined smirk, "I guess it's up to us to be her crutch."

The dark man spat and walked forward, "Whatever you say."

The genome laughed and grabbed Cole by the arm. She shouted to Amarant and Garnet, "Hey, Sarah! Don't get too far ahead."

Cole leered at Mikoto and pulled away from her. The blonde girl simply laughed as the caught up to the others. She ran ahead to join Garnet and jogged next to her.

Amarant stood next to Cole and sighed, "This is going to be..."

"...hell." Cole finished his statement with a sigh as the two men continued forward, following in the footsteps of the two girls ahead on them.

However, Cole left a hand on the hilt of his blade the entire time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zidane stepped out into the sunlight from the cabin and squinted. He looked out onto the deck to see the majority of the people on-board were gathered in a tight group. Upon further inspection, he could see Steiner and Beatrix in the center.

The blonde boy rolled his eyes and he jumped off the boat and landed on dry ground. He was about to take off when a shout from behind caught his attention.

"And where might you be going, Mr.Tribal?" Questioned Beatrix. "Do you not see that a meeting is taking place?"

"I thought meetings were only for members of your resistance."

"You are a member. A temporary member but a member nonetheless."

Zidane turned around and stared at her, "I told you, it was a one mission contract."

"Exactly." Beatrix said with her hands on her hips, "and our group only has one mission and that mission isn't over until all of Gaia is free once again." He stared up at the female for a long moment before crossing his arms. A smile appeared on Beatrix's face, "We do have a deal, Zidane."

With a deep sigh, Zidane once again boarded and ship and made his way over to the group. He crossed his arms and leaned against the railing as he listened to Steiner talk about the army that had landed on a few miles away.

Zidane slowly drifted into his own world. He looked out over the rocky countryside of the Forgotten Continent and sighed. There were so many memories on that continent. So many things Zidane wanted to relive and yet, didn't want to feel the pain of knowing he could never make new ones.

Sighing, Zidane turned back to listen to his new resistance leaders speak.

This was going to be one hell of a ride.

_To Be Continued..._

_Author's Ramblings_

_Everyone, I'm terribly sorry about the complete lack of action in this story as well as the extreme shortness of it but I was kind of just trying to get another chapter in. Sorry for the long wait but I've been busy with other projects. My main original story is nearing it's end so as soon as I finish it, I will be concentrating on this story as well as one other original piece. Anyways, please review._

_Also, I finally got another copy of FFIX. I ordered it from eBay like two weeks ago and it just came in two days ago. I bought it got nine bucks but after shipping it cost me over twenty! Man, I hate that stupid web site but on the bright, this story should get just that much better since I'll be playing through the game as I write this story._

_Please review and I'll try to get this story rolling as soon as possible!_

_Until next time!_


	5. Chapter 4: Thought From Before

Title: The Concept of...

Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?

Rating: PG-13+

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Continuation

Chapter Four

Thoughts From Before

The forest was filled with smells of nature and of civlization. Few animals roamed the land, not even owls were seen this far into the forest. There was only one thing to be seen this deep.

Zidane listened to his foosteps as he and his two comrades entered the village. It'd been a very long time since Zidnae had laid eyes on the small huts owned by the Black Mages or since he'd seen the large, akward creautres wandering the dirt roads of their home.

Beatrix turned around to look at Zidane, "We're going to go speak with the head of this village. Try not to get in much trouble, okay?"

The blonde shrugged lightly, "You know me."

"That's the thing." Beatrix said with a smirk and advanced into the village. Steiner stared at him for only a moment before he too entered the village, going a separate direction.

Zidane crossed his arms and sighed. Things were a mess. Then again, when had things not been a mess.

He found himself remembered the first time he'd come to the village. He'd come with friends in search of their longtime enemy and had been surprised to see so many aware Black Mages. He remembered that night in the inn, alone with Garnet and the story he'd told her.

His story.

With a sigh, Zidane trudged into the village. He went straight for the hut where his 'sister' had lived a short while ago. It was still just as empty as it'd been ever since she and the others had left.

He never found out where they'd gone.

The Genomes only lived in the village for a short while after they left Terra. He'd heard that one day they just decided that they wanted to enter the real world and left the village, Mikoto as well. He had never heard from them again.

The small hut was just as it had been the last time he'd been here. A small bit of clothing lay flung about the one-room home, just like it had always been. Mikoto has always been somewhat untidy. It wasn't much of a surprise. After living so long in organization on Terra, it was only reasonable for the Genomes to be somewhat unorganized now that they were on Gaia.

Zidane sat down on the bed and sighed. He missed Mikoto and the others. They were the closest thing he had to a real family. Sure, he had his brothers in Tantalus and his friends but it wasn't the same as having real-life, blood relatives.

A knock on the door was heard and Zidane rose his head in confusion. He shouted for whoever it was to come in and the door opened to reveal a small figure.

"Mr. Zidane?" The little mage said tentivly.

"Just Zidane." He said as he leaned back, "What's up?"

"Um, m-my name is C-Corbin." The little black mage wrung his hands together and stared at his feet. Zidane knew what he was going to say before he finished, "I'm V-Vivi's son."

Zidane smiled and stood, "You look just like him."

Corbin looked up at him with bright eyes, "I... um... we just a-arived in the village a little bit ago."

"Who is we?"

"Um, me and my brothers and my dad."

Zidane's eyes grew wide and he stepped forward, "Vivi's here!"

The little mage stepped back in surprise, "Y-yes. H-He wanted me t-to get you."

"Well take me to him." Zidane said, brightening up.

Corbin nodded and led Zidane out of the hut. They walked and short while until they arrived at the cemetary. Zidane looked around until he caught sight of some blue robes billowing in the breeze and a small straw hat. He smiled as he looked at the familiar mage kneeling down, placing some flowers on a grave.

"Vivi?" Zidane said with wide eyes.

The mage looked up and brightened. He ran towards Zidane and immediatly fell flat on his face. With a sigh, he stood and brushed himself off.

"Nothing ever changes, eh?" Zidane said with a chuckle, gazing down at his old friend.

"Wow." Vivi stared up at Zidane, "It's been..."

"Way too long." Zidane laughed, "What are you doing here?"

"I, um... come once a month to... pay respects." He looked back at the grave he had just visited. It was labeled '288.' Vivi looked back up at Zidane, "What about you?"

"I'm here with Beatrix and Rusty, we-re-"

"Steiner is here too?!" Viv said in surprise. Zidane nodded quickly. "Can you take me to him?"

Zidane smiled and nodded. He led Vivi away form the cemetary and they walked through the village for a short while.

"I met your kid." Zidane said as they walked, "Seems nice."

"Corbin?" Vivi nodded, "He is. I have two others but they're out visiting the others."

"Where have you been all this time?"

Vivi thought a moment, "I... didn't want my children to grow up without knowing the world. We've been traveling Gaia ever since we left Alexandria. Um, how's Garnet? I heard about Alexandria getting attacked but news is hard to get around here."

Zidane was quiet for a moment, "She's... gone, Vivi. I couldn't protect her."

The little mage stopped for a moment and looked up at his friend in alarm, "T-The princess... no way."

"It's true." Zidane said, looking away the Vivi's still young eyes. "The group that attacked Alexandria already has control of the Mist Continent so we came here to warn everyone on the Outer Continent because they just arrived here."

Vivi was quiet for a moment before and nodded and the two continued walking. Finally, they heard a booming voice and Vivi ran ahead. Sure enough, the large man was standing outside a hut, jumping up and down.

"I say, open this door immediatly!" He shouted, waving his fists. "We must buy supplies."

Zidane sighed, "The sign says closed."

"I don't care what the sign say-" Steiner turned around to shout but grew quiet as his eyes landed on Vivi. He knelt down and blinked, "Master Vivi?"

"Hello, Steiner." Vivi said happily.

"Master Vivi!" Steiner jumped up in joy, "It's been far too long! How have you been? How are your children? Are they aware yet?"

Vivi laughed and nodded, "Yes, they're in the village too."

"Why, this is surely a good sign. The return of Master Vivi is a telling of good fortune!" Steiner nodded briskly and looked at Zidane, "Beatrix has spoken with the head of the village. We depart shortly."

"You can't stay the night?" Vivi asked sadly, "We haven't caught up yet."

Steiner rubbed his chin and Zidane sighed, "The sun is about to set. No use traveling at night."

The former knight thought a moment then nodded, "Yes, I'm sure Beatrix won't protest to resting here until dawn." He looked down at Vivi and nodded, "Now, Master Vivi, I want to hear all about your children. And where have you been all this time? Are you well? Why are you in the village? No, we musn't talk here. Let's go get a drink and sit for awhile. My, it's been so long."

Zidane chuckled and followed the two as they spoke and headed for the inn.

Maybe, just maybe, Steiner was right this time.

Perhaps good fortune was on the horizon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bright, round orb in the sky was neary it's climax, just about to that point where the sky begins to turn a brilliant shade of orange and darkness begins to creep across the other side.

The dirt underfoot was dusty, causing Gardnet to be forced to cough into her hand. She hadn't been in this area of the world in a very long time and memories were slowly beginning to come back.

She remembered the first time she'd crossed this path with her friends. A smile crossed her face as she remembered the fake marriage she and Zidane had to put on in order to get past the dwarves at Conde Petie. She remembered having to save their newest companion, Eiko Coral as she had gotten stuck on a tree branch while fleeing after stealing food. This was the first place she found out that there were other people who could summon.

Now, she could see it clearly.

The remains of a forgotten society.

The debris from a destroyed land.

The last pieces of Garnet's childhood.

Anothe fit of coughing envoloped Garnet as a bit of dust was blown by the wind. Cole, walking next to her, handed over his kerchief which she gladly took and covered up her face.

"The land has grown old and eroded." Cole said, walking his arms crossed. His black hair with the single red streak blew in the breeze, he looked right at home with his dark clothes and dead face in the land. "Ever since the Iifa Tree stopped producing Mist awhile back, the land around here has just lost what little life it once had."

"So it's all my-"

"No." Mikoto said quickly, "This land was dying long before you came. The Iifa Tree was stopping it from ending it's misery."

Garnet nodded slowly, looking at the dusty ground as she walked. It was true. Before, there had at least been a few little areas of green grass but now it was nothing but harsh desert. Everything had a sad yellow glow to it, even the mass of rubble in the distance seemed more distraught.

It was a very sad sight.

The four travelers continued walking, eventually making it out of the desert and stepping onto the pavement of the destroyed city of Madain Sari.

Garnet looked around at the rubble, it had been so long since she had visited the destroyed area. She clasped her hands together as she eyes skimmed over the land, memories returning to her.

She remembered first coming her with Zidane and that faint feeling of rememberance that was felt in the pit of her stomach.

Then she remembered darker memories. Of the land being destroyed by a giant eye in the sky. Of escaping with her birthmother and fleeing for Alexandria.

Tears formed in the corners of her eyes but she quickly blinekd them away, not wanting anyone to see her pain. She took in a large intake of air then stepped forward.

"Where is he?" She asked, looking around nervously.

Mikoto stood next to her, "He should arrive shortly."

Garnet nodded and began walking further into the destruction. She walked down what was left of the street and into something like a town square. A bench was there and she sat down, looking around her. Behind her, just down another road, was the Eidolon Wall. She would make a visit to the wall shortly.

Mikoto sat down next to her and Cole took the oppurtunity to search the area. Amarant leaned against a wall and looked around.

"Bring back memories?" He asked quietly.

Garnet nodded briskly, "Many." She smiled faintly and looked over to him, "Isn't this where we first met you?"

He nodded his large mop of red hair, "Not one of my better moments."

The ex-queen smiled lightly as she remembered watching Zidane and Amarant fight. Various feelings went through her mind as she remembered his mercy and honor. Of how he allowed Amarant to live despite him asking for death.

Foosteps could be heard from behind them and Garnet turned her head to see a group of at least ten men running up to them from the Wall. They stopped and one many stepped forward. He was short and skinny with a blue bandana covering his mouth.

The man held a long, jagged dagger in his right arm and growled, "What are you all doing here?"

Garnet stood, eyes glaring at the man. "We could ask you the same."

"Well, you're the trespassers!" The man countered with a quick nod, "You just happen to be in the official head quarters of the..." The man and everyone behind him quickly struck a pose, "Blue Graal Theivery Guild!"

Garnet stared at the man and blinked. She sighed heavily and shook her head, "Not this again..."

"What was that?" The man snickered, "Ah, feeling a little less courageous now, eh? I can't say I blame you." The man stared at Garnet for a moment and nodded, "Well, you are a cutie aren't ya but your hair..."

She looked alarmed and felt her dyed locks, "W-what about it?"

"I'm not too into blondes." She shrugged, "Oh well, your looks aren't going to save you from this. Trespassing on the property of the Blue Graal Theivery Guild is a offense punishable by death."

Amarant sighed and stepped forward. All eyes turned to him and the man looked shocked, "R-Red? I thought y-you were with us..."

"I was." He said as he cracked his knuckles, "My contract expired."

The leader cursed and stepped behind his friends, "Then I guess you'll just have to meet the same fate as your pals." He looked at his also worried friends and slightly shoved one of them, "What are ya waiting for? Get'em!"

With a weak battle cry, two of the theives stormed Amarant. He made no move to counter them but stepped aside as one of them tried to drive a spear through his gut. As he passed, Amarant grabbed the man by the back of the shirt and threw him into his friends. The two collapsed to the ground with the one on the bottom smashing his head against the concrete and knocking himself out.

"What are ya doing, ya idiots!" The leader shouted, "Kill them!"

"Morons."

The leader turned around as he heard the voice and shouted in surprise as a booted foot connected with his face, snapping his neck back and sending him to ground, unconcious.

Cole landed in front of the fallen theif and smirked. He withdrew his sword and turned to meet the other foes.

"Now that I've arrived." Cole said with a almost gleeful grin. He looked at Amarant, "Shall we?"

Amarant nodded and beckoned for the thieves to beign their attack. They were surrounded, with Amarant blocking one exit and Cole the other so they had no choice but to grip their weapons and attack. There were eight of them left so they spit up evenly.

A man wiedling a sword attempted to lop of Amarant's head but he quickly ducked under the blow and delivered a hard jab into the man's gut. The man immediatly dropped his weapon and stepped back, holding his stomach and quickly ran over to the edge of the road and vomited.

The next man was the one who'd attacked Amarant early. His spear flew thorugh the air in an untrained manner and Amarant grabbed the wooden part of it as it flew towards him. With one hand, he snapped the weapon in two like a twig. The man shouted in fear and ran past Amarant, heading out of Madain Sari.

Another swordsman attempted to attack Amarant from the side and nearly slashed into his side but Amarant dodged the blow just in time. He slammed his elbow into the man's face then finished off as he cracked the remainder of the spear over the man's back.

The last soldier was the only one able to catch Amarant by surprise. He was behind the tall man and jumped over his back, arms wrapped around his neck attempting to choke him. Amarant tried to fling the little man off but he had a tight grip. He whirled around, trying to get the thief off his back when his grip suddenly loosened and he fell to the ground in a heap.

Amarant turned around to see Garnet standing behind him with a stone in hand. She smiled up at him and nodded.

Everyone turned around with the intent on helping Cole but were surprised to see him sitting down watching the end of Amarant's battle. He smirked and applauded half-heartedly.

"Where'd they go?" Mikoto asked with wide-eyes.

He shrugged, "Ran off after the first one." He sighed lightly, "I really hope that's the last we see of them."

Mikoto grinned, "They certaintly are a nuisance."

"I don't think we should be talking bad about Amarant's friends." Garnet said with a laugh. Mikoto joined in.

Amarant crossed his arms and turned away, "It was a job."

Everyone laughed, even Cole chuckled lightly at the comment.

As they quieted down, a light sound could be heard. It sounded like somehow chuckling lightly and everyone looked around. Garnet turned around and looked up at the Eidolon Wall.

On top of the stone structure, silhouetted against the sun was a dark figure. His long hair billowed in the wind. The figure applauded lighlty before lightly jumping from the top of the structure and landing gently on his feet.

He walked towards the group and Garnet's eyes widened at the sight. He was pale with long, silver locks and bright eyes. He wore all white clothes and his face looked almost feminine but with a very manly charm around his colorful eyes.

The man walked up to them and extended a long arm to Garnet. He looked into her eyes with his own, "It's been a long time." A devilish smirk crossed Kuja's face as he looked at the shocked expression she wore, "My canary."

_To Be Continued..._

_Author's Ramblings._

_Well, there's another update. Sorry it's so short but I really didn't know what to do with this chapter. The only part I had planned out was Garnet's section. I actually didn't intend to bring in Vivi but he just kind of... popped up on his own. Hope this chapter isn't too crappy._

_By the way, I just started another story. It's a romance story for FF called Populace of Two. It's a lot different than the usual stuff I write as it's mostly romance and I don't intend on having much, if any, action in it. I hope everyone gives the first chapter a read and tells me what you think._

_Well, until next time!_


	6. Chapter 5: Enlightened Life

Title: The Concept of...

Summary: Gaia, finally finding peace after a long while, is once again rocked as a group of radicals rise up and begin to eradicate the royals from the world. In the heat of the fray, can light shine once more?

Rating: PG-13+

Fandom: Final Fantasy IX

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Continuation

Chapter Five

Enlightened Life

Dark eyes bore into her own. Her mouth hung agap at the sight of the pale, white-haired male that stood before her with a eerie, confident smirk planted across his feminine features.

The man withdrew his hand and chuckled, "You seem surprised." Garnet took a step back. As she did so, Amarant took his place in front of her. Kuja only smirked at the gesture, "No need to be so hostile. I am the reason you are here, after all."

Garnet's eyes widened further and she turned around to glance at Mikoto, "Kuja is your... leader?"

Mikoto smiled sheepishly and nodded, "Yes, it's a long tale."

"One that I would be more than willing to tell you, Princess. Or Queen. What is it you like to be called nowadays?"

Garnet narrowed her eyes at the man, "I thought you were dead."

"Ah, so your knight kept his promise. Long ago, your lover came to my aid. He is the reason I still breath. I asked him not to give away my existance and it seems his word proved gold." Kuja glanced about and frowned, "Where is your knight?"

Garnet stumbled with her words for a moment before sighing, "He died awhile ago during the raid of Alexandria."

Kuja stared at the blonde girl for a moment, his eyes showing disbeleif. Finally, he shrugged and nodded. "Well, my lady, shall you and your companion join be for dinner?"

The former queen still seemed hesitant to trust her once sworn-enemy. The man who had threated all the planet, killed thousands, and proved pivotal in the death of her second mother.

A hand brushed Garnet's elbow and she glanced to her side to see Mikoto smile and nod. Sighing, Garnet nodded and turned to Kuja.

"What shall be be having?"

------------------------------

Zidane sighed heavily as he leaned back in his seat and looked up at the nearly dark sky. The wind was cool, something Zidane didn't remember about the last time he'd come to the Lost Continent.

He'd been told that the actions that occured around the Iifa Tree awhile back had caused the land on the continent to grow much harsher. That included the drop in temperature.

The blonde chewed the last bit of his meal and looked around at the group. Steiner sat together on a log with Beatrix, chatting gently with her about the actions of the day. A few others members of the organization sat in huddled groups, speaking or eating amongst themselves. The only person anywhere near Zidane was the small black mage.

Vivi had decided shortly before they were to depart that he wanted to join them. He'd said his children would be staying with the Black Mage Village for a 'learning experience.' He also said that he thought he owed it to Garnet.

Of course, Zidane had no protests in his old friend to join them.

"I've tried writing you, Zidane." Vivi said quietly, as he watched the embers of the fire begin to ignite.

"I haven't been staying in Alexandria. I couldn't after The Fire took it over." Zidane watched the embers as well. "I stayed in a small hut in Dali for awhile until Steiner... convinced me to join him."

"How do you know about Garnet?" He asked tentively.

Zidane sighed, "At first I didn't beleive the reports but then they said her body had been brought back. They never showed it to the public and it was buried in the royal cemetary next to her mother."

"How can you know it's true, Zidane?" Vivi asked, "If you never saw her."

"They brought back... her amulet." He sighed and put his head in his hands. "I gave her a amulet shortly after I returned. It was one of a kind and... they had it."

The campfire grew quiet and Vivi raised his voice to say something but it never got out as a lone soldier came running up to the camp. He paused just in front of Steiner and Beatrix, breathing heavily.

Steiner stood quickly, "Wh-"

The young man quickly cut him off, "Our scouts have been ambushed. It's them."

Beatrix quickly stood as well, retrieving her sword. "Let's go."

"Scouts getting ambushed?" Zidane sighed as he followed the crowd, Vivi close behind. "Some scouts they are."

The group only had to travel for a short while before the sounds of a battle could be heard. They brust through a small patch of trees until the battle could finally be seen.

It wasn't huge. The six rebel scouts were fighting their hardest against nearly sixteen soldiers of The Fire. Steiner quickly withdrew his own sword and flew towards the fight.

Zidane gripped his dual daggers tightly in his hands and also rushed towards the attacks. A bright flashed blew past him and he nearly smirked, the feeling of fighting alongside Vivi once again taking it's place.

The blonde flew into the air and brought his daggers down hard on the first unsuspecting victim. The blades drove deep down into the soldier's shoulder and sent him falling towards the ground, dropping his weapon as he did so. Zidane hit the ground and went further into the heart of the battle, his instict flaring like that of a rose's petals.

The sounds of war echoed in his ears, fusing that battle instinct inside of Zidane that had only intensified since the death of Dagger. He flew at different angles, delivering singlular blows to all enemies in his sight. Blood poured onto the ground as he rushed through the mob, teeth gritted as he watched his actions unfold.

Finally, Zidane found himself flying towards the ground after something hard connected with his jaw. He hit the grass and immediatly rolled back to his feet. He re-gripped his daggers and looked forward to see the man that had hit him.

He was tall, well over six foot with a large torso. The man had a dark tan and black, shortly-cropped hair with a bushy black moustache that only aided his stone-like face. The man wore a bright, yellow jacket made of gossamer fabric, opened a bit to unveil a chiseled chest. He also wore a pair of skin-tight red pants and black shoes. In his hands was a long, metal rod which had been the thing to hit Zidane.

The man stepped forward and swung the rod in an arc. He grinned a bit, displaing white teeth but with the front somewhat bucktoothed.

"I was told of you." The man said with a low tone, "The man with the tail. I've been wondering how long it would take for me to find you."

Zidane stood ready, staring at the stranger as the battle continued around him. "And who might you be?"

"Farrokh. Farrokh Bulsara." The man nodded, "I am the assistant to Allor, the right hand of Magus Kingsfield II."

"And who is Allor?"

"He said you two met awhile back, on the ports of Alexandria." Farrokh paused a moment, tapping his rod against his shoulder. "Hmm, red hair, dark eyes, probably destroyed you in the battle."

The memory came back to Zidane and he gritted his teeth, "Yeah, I remember now."

"Very good." Farrokh said with another smile, "Well, then. Shall we?"

Without another word, the moustach-faced man burst from his stance and rushed at Zidane with much more speed than would be suspected of a man his size. He spun the rod over his head for a moment before he swung it at an arc at Zidane. The blonde barely ducked under the blow and rose up with his daggers flying towards the man's unprotected gut.

Surprisingly, the man was able to kick up his legs and knee Zidane in the chin, sending him flying backwards and landing on his back. With a loud curse, Zidane rose to his feet and prepared himself just in time as Farrokh came rushing in for another attack. The rod flew at Zidane every which way, with the blonde side-stepping and ducking under each one. Finally, it was Zidane's turn.

He jumped into the air and attempted to kick Farrokh upside the head. The larger man ducked under the blow but Zidane carried on. He brought his daggers in at different angles but Farrokh once again gained the upper-hand. He parried one of the daggers with his rod and grabbed Zidane's wrist with his free hand. He chuckled and used his superior strength to throw Zidane nearly ten feet away.

Zidane hit the ground hard, losing one of his daggers as he did so. He spit a bit of blood into the dirt as he once again rose to his feet and prepared for another onslaught from his new enemy.

As exepcted, Farrokh came full speed at Zidane. This time, however, Zidane was ready. He lowered his body so far that Farrokh tumbled over his smaller frame. With nimble mobes, Farrokh was able to catch himself and land on his feet but Zidane was already preapred. He slammed his elbow into the man's gut then delivered a harsh blow to the side of his head with the butt of his dagger. Farrokh tumbled backwards but regained his feet just in time before he would have fallen.

Farrokh stood fast, breathing heavily. A bit of blood trickled from his mouth as he looked around. The battle was dissolving and Zidane's friends were nearly victorious. With a sigh, the taller man shrugged. "I suppose we'll have to finish this another time, eh?"

With that, Farrokh dug something out of his pocket and with a quick action, flung a small metal ball at Zidane. The ball hit him hard in the chest and sent him to the ground, gasping for breath. When he looked up, Farrokh was gone and the rebels were victorious.

----------------------

The moon reflected off the rippling waters of Madain Sari. The light also gave the stones of the destructed city a beautiful yet eerie look. The company only added to that feeling.

Kuja walked nimbly across the stones, gazing down at his reflection as he did so.

"Isn't Madain Sari beautiful this time of night?" He asked.

Garnet crossed her arms, shivering with the cool breeze. "Yes but I much prefer it during the day."

"Really?" Kuja asked surprised. "The night is so cool and calm, almost ghostly. During the day, this city looks as if it is ablaze. It's harsh and glareing. Nothing like yourself, my canary."

"I thought you were going to fill me in on some things, Kuja. Isn't that why we're out here?" Garnet rolled her eyes, sitting down on the ledge. Kuja had asked her to come out and speak with him in private shortly after their meal. She was reluctant but finally agreed to his request.

"Yes." Kuja nodded, his white locks falling into his face. "Let me start out by telling you the story of my rescue."

"After I was defeated, I lay crumpled and beaten on one of the many roots of the Iifa Tree, awaitng my own demise. To my surprise, Zidane appeared. He helped me, guarding my weakened body with his own. We made it out of the destruction and he took me to a small village called Dali. The people of the village nursed my wounds. Before Zidane left, I asked him why he had helped me. Do you know what he did?" Garnet shook her head slowly and Kuja smirked, "He just shook his head and shrugged but before he departed, he turned to me and said 'farewell, brother.'"

Kuja leaned against one of the stones and looked at the water, "After my wounds were healed, I decided to take my own trip around the globe and explore these people that I was destined to live amongst. Along my journeys, I found out about a certain man named Magus Kingfield. This man was already a experienced magician, stronger than most on Gaia. However, after Garland was defeated, this wizard was somehow able to intercept his soul's departue and absorb his powers."

"This new power but Kingsfield over the edge, stronger even than I was, I suspect. He soon devised a plan of world domination." Kuja sighed and crossed his arms, growing somewhat flustered. "Awhile ago, the Genomes left the safety of the Black Mage Village. Kingsfield tracked them and he used an ability that only Garland used to possess in order to harness their souls. He multiplied them and turned them into his own mindless soldiers. Those are the black-clad soldiers you see storming through cities and streets. There are a few actual human lackies but most are the souls of lost Genomes."

"What about Mikoto?" Garnet asked, stunned at the story so far.

"She was away at the time of the attack." Kuja said, "When she returned, they were all gone. I met Mikoto shortly after and was able to befriend her. I told her of my plans to create a organization that will counter The Fire as soon as it made any hostile movements and she quickly joined."

"And Cole?"

"Cole is from a village on an island off the coast of this continent. During Kingsfield's early stages, he used Cole's village as a practice field. The session was a success and the village was wiped off the face of the planet, everyone dead except for Cole who had survived because he was buried under a destroyed building. I met him while he was searching for the culprits and I quickly inducted him into the group. He is full of vengeance and strives to destroy The Fire but he is also trustworthy and honorable. You should value his assitance as he is also one of the greatest warriors I've ever met."

Garnet nodded and leaned back, "You've changed, Kuja."

"I have." Kuja made his way over and sat down next to Garnet, "I have seen the errors of my past and wish to redeem myself." He turned to look the girl in her eyes, "Will you give me the chance, my canary?"

The girl stared into Kuja's dark, haunting eyes for a long moment and it seemed as though all that hate she had felt for him suddenly dissappeared. The fact that he murdered innocents, threatened Gaia, and led to the death of her mother was still there but the fact that he was here, apologizing and trying to help, seemed to make everything somewhat better.

Garnet nodded briskly, "Yes."

_To Be Continued..._


End file.
